Post grad life.

Will & I were looking at Instagram & saw a post from a high school senior holding her UNC acceptance letter with #classof2017. We both looked at each other and yelled "2017?!?!" Post-grad life just got real, y'all. We had the realization that it has almost been two full years since we graduated from college. It feels like we blinked and it happened!

Its crazy that it has been two years since I lived with six of my best friends-sharing clothes, stories and so many laughs. I miss those days. Where themed parties and late night "study" sessions happened frequently, where McDonalds and coke icees were purchased probably too often and where something was always happening. Don't get me wrong, I love life right now & wouldn't trade it for anything, but oh some days, I miss Chapel Hill and all the people who made it wonderful. 

These days between work and life, its difficult to stay in touch with all of our school friends. Will and I were blessed with wonderful friends and we so want to continue those relationships. I know that its natural for people to flow in and out of your life, for relationships to change and friends to move on. How do you balance new friends with the old? There are so many people I love, yet there never seems to be enough time to catch up with everyone. I suppose this is an incredible problem to have. How blessed we truly are! I feel guilty for not knowing details about my friends lives and hate that I miss birthdays and promotions. Post-grad life is an interesting stage. For now, I will continue to be thankful for sweet friends and great technology. We will squeeze in as many phone calls and facetimes as we can and hope that our friends far away know that they are loved and missed dearly by us.

Life according to Instagram

Jammin'

I love the idea of canning fresh fruit and veggies. I tested out the whole process last year & really enjoyed creating strawberry jam. Its a thoughtful gift for friends and just a blast to make! Recently, I received a TON of cranberries from a friend. I've been searching through recipes in search of a good one for canning these babies. 

Spiced cranberries. That just sounds delicious, right? I found the recipe in Canning for a New Generation, check it out here http://tinyurl.com/aa2fqhr. I changed the recipe a little bit. I just finished canning them & it tasted pretty good off the spoon (after I canned of course). If you've never canned anything, give it a try. Just be smart about it and read more about it here http://tinyurl.com/cwyvc9x

What you need:
3 c. cranberries, washed well
1.5 c. sugar
1/2 c. juice from an orange
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cinnamon stick (if you want)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
3 half pint mason jars

Follow canning rules and begin boiling cans. While cans are boiling, combine cranberries, sugar, juice and spices and bring to a boil on high heat. Once boiling, let it simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes.

 Remove jars from boiling water and pour in spiced cranberries. Add lid (that was also sitting in HOT water).** Place cans w/ lids on back into water & boil for 5 min. Remove and let them stand for 24 hours without moving and touching. Check after an hour to make sure the lid sealed, if it did not refrigerate immediately. You should hear the lids pop though.

I read that this is delicious on cheese-- all types. I can't wait to have some cheese and crackers topped with spiced cranberries. 

*Place the lids in a smaller pot. When you empty out the water from the cans before filling with cranberries, pour the boiling water into the pot with the lids. 

Honeymoon stage

Every time I mention something sweet that Will has done for me, most people respond with "oh you're just in the honeymoon stage, that will end." Although I fully expect an ebb and flow in life & marriage, it saddens me to think that so often people truly believe that thoughtful notes or fun dates will not continue. We understand that there will be a day when our house is full of little people and time together will be difficult, but it is our hope that we will always continue dating, if you will. 

The other day on set, they were filming a market and there was a flower stand. Will grabbed some flowers for me when the scene was over & kept them on the camera truck so that he could bring them to me that night. As he was climbing into bed late that night, I heard him say "SHOOT!" It scared me since I was only half awake; he then told me about the flowers and how he had forgotten them on the camera truck. The picture above is from the following day at work showing me the flowers. 

Just the thought made my day. I hope that as time moves forward and its been years of marriage that we will not forgot the simple things that can bring so much joy. I don't think I am being unrealistic, just trying to break away from the "norm" where some people say that all good things will end in a marriage. 

Two of our friends who have been married for three years have said that people always tell them the same thing. The wife told me that she can't wait until they've been married ten or twenty years just so she can prove that she just has a great husband, not one that is "just in the honeymoon stage."

Happy Birthday!

Today is a very special person's birthday--Mama Rhew! I have been blessed with a wonderful mother who cares so deeply for her family and friends. She has a gentle spirit and a servant's heart. I have learned so much from her over the years and continue to look to her for guidance. We are truly so thankful for her and all she means to Will and me. 

I am sad to be away from her on her birthday, but thankful for technology (and snail mail) so that she can hopefully feel loved from afar. Praying that one day I can be the same kind of mama she has been to my brother and me. 

Things I'm learning lately.

I've been learning a few things recently.

1. Be thankful for quality time. Will has been working a weird schedule the past few weeks which involves working Saturdays, so our time has been limited. I am learning to appreciate every little moment- whether it be just a few minutes of catching up or a whole day with him. Also, pretty thankful for days that end with this.

2. I like thin mint girl scout cookies? You may wonder why there is a question mark on that statement. I have never liked chocolate. I grew up despising it. I know, I know... its "un-american." I've heard that a million times. I still don't really like hershey bars or chocolate cake, but hey, I like thin mints! They are delicious & even better after sitting in the freezer. I've been missing out all these years!

3. Go-with-the-flow really is the best motto for life. Even at a young age, I claimed that statement & attempted to apply it to all areas. For some odd reason, people think that adults should have it all together. Weird, right? Welp, I don't and neither do you. I'm learning its best to just be open to opportunities and don't get so caught up in your "plan." Let's just go with the flow and enjoy the ride.

4. Krispy Kreme can bring a lot of joy to a film crew working on a Saturday night. I brought some glazed doughnuts to Will and his coworkers this past weekend and I think they may have made filming in the freezing cold a little bit less miserable.

Date night

Since most weeks Will works an average of 75 hours or so, we cherish the weekends and really just any time together. Sometimes I need motivation when the week seems long & we're missing each other. Will is great at texting me half way through the week with a fun idea for the weekend. Last week he suggested a date night to Southport on Saturday night. I was thrilled and had truly been looking forward to it all week.

Late Saturday afternoon, we headed down to Fort Fisher to catch the ferry over to Southport. We got there a little early and spent some time enjoying the sunset.

The sunset was gorgeous and made the ferry ride so fun. We hopped out of our car and stood at the front of the boat the whole time. It was a little bit chilly, but totally worth it.

We had a great dinner at The Pharmacy- my favorite part was the butternut squash bisque that quickly warmed me up.  If you've never been to Southport, you should go. Its a cute little town that seems like something out of a movie (they have actually filmed quite a few movies here). When its warmer out, its fun to pack up our bikes and spend the day exploring and admiring all the historic homes. 

Oh and I wore my new red jeans! I was pretty pumped about this Old Navy find. Might have to go back and get another fun color :)